Kennedy Round

The Kennedy round was the sixth session of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) trade negotiations held in 1964-1967 in Geneva, Switzerland. Congressional passage of the US Trade Expansion Act in 1962 authorized the White House to conduct mutual tariff negotiations ultimately leading to the Kennedy Round. Participation greatly increased over previous rounds. Sixty-six nations, representing 80% of world trade, attended the official opening on May 4, 1964, at the Palais des Nations. The director general announced the round’s success on May 15, 1967, despite bitter disagreement upon many of the details. The final agreement was signed on June 30, 1967 ––the very last day permitted under the Trade Expansion Act. The round was named after American President John F. Kennedy, who died six months before the opening negotiations.